23 August 2012
Sister City travel for earthquake support
Christchurch City Council today agreed the Mayor will travel to Asia/Pacific sister cities to acknowledge
post-earthquake support.
The travel, which will be funded within existing budgets, aims to reaffirm Christchurch’s commitment to the Sister
Cities programme in light of support received from these cities after the earthquakes.
The Council also noted the need for a review of the organisation’s sister cities and international relations strategies
and policies. A working party will be set up to this end and will report back to the Council within six months.
At the beginning of the meeting, Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker announced that he would personally fund travel for the
Mayoress on these visits and asked that staff recommendations on travel expenses for the Mayoress be withdrawn.
The item was part of the report from the Community, Recreation and Culture Committee.
Committee Chair Councillor Yani Johanson says the full Council agreed the Mayor should travel to Asia/Pacific sister
cities to say thank you for the support they gave our city after the earthquakes and to offer condolences to the
families of the victims of the earthquakes.
“Enhancing and maintaining meaningful and effective Sister City and international relationships is incredibly important
for our city. This is especially so because of the huge goodwill and generosity given from around the world in response
to the earthquake.
“I believe it is critical that as we move forward as a city we have greater alignment among those agencies and others
who are seeking international investment, assistance, and exchanges. This includes CCT, CDC, Invest Christchurch, Sister
City Committees, and the Christchurch City Council.
“There is a new dynamic post quake and it is essential we work together with coordinated policies and strategies to
minimise duplication and maximise efficiency. The review of these policies was well overdue, and is even more critical
to be done now,” Cr Johanson says.
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